Breaking Dallas News – Page 47 – The Other Side Dallas

August 31, 2021August 31, 2021

COVID19 Coverup At Harry Stone

It appears a COVID19 coverup at Harry Stone is not new, but ongoing. This follows our reporting earlier this summer about a teacher assaulted by a student and questions about financial misuse of student activity money at the Dallas Independent School District southern Montessori campus.

The Dallas ISD dashboard currently shows two staff cases of COVID19 at Harry Stone, but in written conversations with six school parents there are allegations the number may be as high as twenty-two with seventeen student cases.

In one instance a parent reports the school nurse asked the parent not to submit positive COVID19 case history so that the district dashboard would not reflect the case.

The parent said in a written email, “She told me just to let [the student] do course work online and the student would be fine. I pressed the issue because the student was lethargic and didn’t want the student to work while sick and also didn’t want the student to be counted absent. They didn’t want to have to document a case and I wonder how many parents they did that too.”

Another parent indicates their child was diagnosed COVID19 positive, but does not have any possibility of community transmission. They only go to and from Harry Stone and do not otherwise go out.

Four separate parents have stated in similar stories that personnel at Harry Stone Montessori Academy privately confirming multiple students and staff members testing positive, but that they are not sharing the information with parents. It is not clear if they are sharing the information with Dallas ISD administrators either.

COVID19 Coverup At Harry Stone Continues Bad History

Earlier this summer we reported on a large percentage of teachers leaving Dallas ISD’s South Dallas Montessori campus. That resulted in dozens of calls and emails that show teachers are leaving due to campus assaults by students of staff members.

Two Zoom meetings were held by Trustee Maxie Johnson who stated he thinks parents are racist for bringing up assaults against teachers. We have reached out to Mr. Johnson for comment repeatedly without success.

August 31, 2021August 31, 2021

Three Dallas ISD Students Assaulted By Fireworks

Three Dallas ISD students were assaulted by fireworks walking home from school on Monday afternoon, 30 August 2021.

The assault happened when an unidentified vehicle drove past and threw several fireworks at the three students in front of Royal Lane Baptist Church.

Dallas ISD has been back in operation going into its third week.

Dallas Police have been reeling from reports that twenty plus terrabytes of information were inappropriately lost that had a direct connection to ongoing cases.

Assaulted By Fireworks – No Response From Dallas Police

Dallas Police did not send out an officer to investigate or take a report at either the location of the assault, the residents home, or the treating facility for burns suffered from the explosion.

Dallas Police Department has yet to respond, echoing the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge incident last year and resulting After Action Report which brought about no discipinary action.

Dallas Fire Rescue did return an email within minutes stating they would not normally be involved with a case of this nature.

August 30, 2021August 30, 2021

Dallas Data Breach Gets Worse

The City of Dallas data breach gets worse in a breaking story first reported by the Dallas Morning News.

City officials discovered an additional fifteen terabytes of missing Dallas Police Department evidence in the ongoing audit initially reported because of a District Attorney disclosure to defense counsel.

Police Chief Eddie García told Dallas City Council members that crimes against people were most likely not affected, but Dallas District Attorney John Creuzot would not go so far.

Dallas Data Breach Gets Worse And Continues IT Problems

Other Side Dallas will continue monitoring this story that was first learned about by City Manager TC Broadnax in April 2021, but not disclosed until John Creuzot was required to disclose the defense attorneys.

The disclosure led to the release of an alleged murderer.

August 30, 2021August 30, 2021

Street Racing Seizures Coming?

A new Texas law may mean street racing seizures are coming for those participating in street racing under certain conditions.

Dallas County Democrat John Turner‘s Street Racing Bill, number 2315, allows law enforcement to seize and potentially forfeit vehicles if the racer is a repeat offender, driving under the influence, has an open alcohol container, or causes injury or death.

The new law may give additional tools to Dallas Police.

Under Chief Renee Hall, Dallas Police seemed to ignore street racing, but since Chief Eddie Garcia’s arrival it seems he is more apt to take on issues hitting middle class Dallas in the areas of quality of life.

Additionally, giving more credence to Dallas Police ignoring the problem, an off-duty Dallas police officer, Joseph George, died after he lost control of his 2015 Ford Mustang while racing with another car, according to police. He was a four-year veteran of the department.

Street Racing Seizures Vs. Construction

Locally John Creuzot has said he will do everything he can to stop street racing – including car seizures – but some members of City Council have tried to zone away street racing including Chad West.

The new law goes into effect on September 1, 2021.

August 20, 2021June 21, 2022

Indie Centrist Candidates Coming

Two North Texas Democratic incumbents may be facing indie centrist candidates in the upcoming 2022 election after gerrymandering says two sources close to Austin decision makers.

US Representative Colin Allred and State Senator Nathan Johnson may face not one, but two, candidates in the 2022 general election.

Indie Centrist Candidates

Allred has benefited from official administration visits like Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh’s summer visit, but may still be gerrymandered into a tougher district making his progressive voting record harder to defend.

Nathan Johnson, similar to Allred won in 2018 riding an anti-Trump wave, that may not exist in 2022 with Trump off the ballot.

Since 2020, many local Republicans have been associated with QAnon and the GOP voting losses of suburban women voters to Democrats over the past four years. The most recent in North Dallas is probably Barry Wernick.

The Republican Party currently has four candidates running for office in Texas Congressional District 32 per Ballotpedia. They are Montgomery Markland, Brad Namdar, Ricardo Salazar, and Gary Slagel.

No candidates are listed for State Senate District 16, but the Dallas County Republican Party, suffering from its own dysfunction, currently lists candidates who lost their primary races back in 2018.

Additionally, Don Huffines, who lost his re-election bid against State Senator Johnson four years ago, is aggressively running for Governor taking swings at Greg Abbott over the border and the electric grid failure. It is not obvious who would be running for his old seat, but his brother was Dallas County Republican Chair.

August 17, 2021August 17, 2021

Governor Greg Abbott Spreads COVID19 In McKinney

Texas Governor Greg Abbott spreads COVID19 in McKinney, Texas at a fundraiser at Heritage Ranch on earlier this week.

Abbott attended a fundraiser for the Republican Club at Heritage Ranch and the video above clearly shows him in close contact with dozens of other unmasked attendees at the venue.

A statement from the governor’s office said that everyone Abbott was close with has been notified of possible exposure to COVID19. He is currently being treated with monoclonal antibodies at the Governor’s Mansion.

The Governor’s spokesman would not comment about Abbott’s personal responsibility. The Texas Governor has said personal responsibility should be the standard on whether or not to wear a mask.

Abbott Spreads COVID19 In Schools Too?

Abbott is fighting against mask and vaccine mandates in Texas and issued an executive order prohibiting businesses and schools from requiring masks or vaccines to enter.

Abbott has retreated recently on COVID19 response requesting FEMA mortuary trailers and out of state medical responders, but denied Dallas area hospitals for the same request last week.

Texas is currently averaging 14,453 new cases per day, according to a seven-day rolling average.

Dallas ISD has stated they will require masks on campus and continued despite court action appearing to uphold the Governor’s executive action.

On Monday, Iraan-Sheffield ISD, a district about an hour south of Midland, Texas announced it would shut down its three campuses until August 30th. Bloomburg ISD and Waskom ISD also are shutting down campuses in light of COVID19 numbers in rural Texas.

August 10, 2021August 10, 2021

Governor Abbott’s COVID19 Retreat?

Has Governor Greg Abbott’s COVID19 retreat finally come?

Per a release yesterday it appears so though his spokesperson won’t admit it.

Abbott who last week denied Dallas area hospital’s request for emergency staff is now asking other states for both staff and supplies as COVID19 is hitting Texas hard.

Texas is actively seeking out-of-state health care personnel to help with the latest COVID19 surge. Abbott has also asked hospitals to voluntarily postpone elective medical procedures.

One physician in a Facebook post openly spoke about triaging pediatric trauma victims because of a lack of bedspace and not being able to accept patient transfers because local pediatric facilities are being used by adults.

COVID19 Retreat

While Abbott is asking other states for assistance in fighting coronavirus his leadership at Texas Education Agency is still balking on mask requirements. Austin ISD and Dallas ISD have both announced they are moving forward with mask requiements anyway.

August 9, 2021August 9, 2021

BREAKING: Dallas ISD Says Masks Back On

Dallas ISD just sent an email to parents saying masks back on as of August 10, 2021 confirming our story that Superintendent Michael Hinojosa may defy Governor Abbott and the Texas Education Agency on mask requirements.

“Masks Back On” Statement

The full statement from Dallas ISD:

Due to CDC recommendations and the red level alert issued by Dallas County based on the rise of hospitalizations among all age groups, including children, Dallas ISD will temporarily require all staff, students and visitors to wear masks while on district schools and other facilities effective Tuesday, Aug. 10. Dallas ISD is committed to maintaining the safety and well-being of students and staff and will continue to provide masks and other protective equipment to schools, conduct contact tracing and sanitize facilities regularly. If you have any questions about this requirement, please contact your child’s school directly. To look at other safety COVID measures implemented by the district, please visit www.dallasisd.org/covidsafety.

August 9, 2021August 9, 2021

Successful Dallas Youth Sports Event

There was a successful Dallas Youth Sports Back To School event on Saturday which put school supplies into the hands of hundreds of students and families.

One participant noted the event was more than just school supplies.

Information was passed out about the Texas Dental Plan and more than three hundred toothbrushes were given out also.

Additionally, several families received full meals.

Successful Dallas Youth Sports Started Early

People were lined up before 9:00AM when lines started for what would be a full day of fun.

Dallas Youth Sports, in conjunction with Dallas Youth Athletic Association, a 501 (c) non-profit organization, works to provide affordable recreational sports programs to the youth of the Dallas-Oak Cliff area.

August 8, 2021August 8, 2021

Amber Guyger Conviction Upheld

Dallas Police Department officer’s Amber Guyger conviction upheld in the Fifth Court of Appeals. Guyger shot and killed her neighbor Botham Jean, inside his own apartment in 2018, failed in this first murder conviction appeal.

Guyger is serving a ten year sentence for the murder of Botham Jean.

Jean, a Black man who lived in the same apartment building as Guyger was eating ice cream in his apartment when she entered and shot him in September 2018.

Amber Guyger Conviction Upheld

Guyger, who is white, testified that she thought she was entering her own apartment and thought Jean was an intruder. She was later fired from the Dallas Police Department after the shooting.

Guyger’s lawyers argued her 2019 trial was not enough to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Guyger committed murder. Their argument was she had a “reasonable belief” that she was in her own apartment. If jurors believed she had a “reasonable belief” she was in her own home, she would have been allowed to use deadly force in self-defense.

Guyger can still raise the case to Texas’ Court of Criminal Appeals, but Thursday’s ruling is a setback to Guyger’s attempt to receive a reduced sentence. As it stands, she could be eligible for parole as soon as 2024.

There has been no public comment from Dallas Police Association (DPA) or its President Mike Mata. After the incident, Mata was accused of tampering with evidence after he aked that a police cruiser camera be turned off while he spoke to Guyger.

Mata was not charged by a Grand Jury who heard evidence and was cleared of any wrong doing. At the time he sadi he welcomed an Internal Affairs investigation believing he would receive the exoneration he ended up receiving through the court system.

During the Guyger murder trial, prosecutors used security camera video to suggest the DPA acted improperly when Mata arrived on the scene after the shooting.

Other Side Dallas has been covering Dallas Police misconduct since its founding and will continue to do so.